


This Was The Best I Could Do

by Kingdom01



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Barry is a Dad, Drunk teen barry, F/F, F/M, I Don't Even Know, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied Mpreg, M/M, Mpreg, Other, Post Mpreg, Secret Relationship, Why is tagging so hard?, You don't actually see much of teen barry, and the prologue, mainly just flashbacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-07-12 12:31:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15995288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kingdom01/pseuds/Kingdom01
Summary: Barry never imagined this when he was younger. While, yes, he was a CSI and he had graduated school, he never imagined what happened before then.His son.When a drunk one night stand becomes a life time commitment, what will Barry do when he runs into his little boys father?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so in this "universe" MPreg is normal, so that's not really an issue. I genuinely have no idea where this story came from.

The word seemed to glare up at him, as if judging him for his mistake. 

_Pregnant._

Well, his life was screwed. He was only sixteen, he couldn't take care of a baby. Especially when he didn't even know the father. To be honest, if it was someone his age, someone he knew, it might not have been so bad. Actually, maybe it's best that it wasn't someone his age, considering everyone his age hated him. Oh god, what was he going to do?

The question seemed to be his new mantra as he slid down the wall, his butt eventually hitting the floor painfully. However that pain was numbed by his shock. Sixteen and pregnant. Looks like Barry's just another statistic. 

A knock on the door knocked him out of his stupor. 

"Barr?" Iris' muffled voice sounded from the other side. "Are you okay in there?" 

"No!" Barry's voice sounded congested, like he was holding back tears. Which he was. "Can you please come in? I really need your help!" The door opened to reveal Iris, her hair pulled back and her large sweater hanging off of her delicate shoulders. Soon enough, Barry was gonna be the one who needed to wear baggy sweaters. Just the thought brought tears to the brunettes eyes. 

"Oh my god, Barry. What's wrong?" The girl quickly knelt down next to Barry, her brown eyes wide with concern. No words could escape Barry's throat, so he just showed her the small plastic stick. A gasp escaped from Iris. "Oh Barry," Her arms enveloped him a hug, causing his sobs to escape. 

He quickly latched onto the girl, cries and sobs echoing in the small bathroom. "I- I don't kn-know what I'm gonna do," Iris looked down at the boy, saying that maybe it was a false positive. Barry, however, replied, "It's not. I've taken four tests already, and only one of them came back as negative, and I'm pretty sure that it expired or something." 

"Well," Iris said after a few minutes of silence. "I just know that no matter what happens, I will always be here, supporting you."

A small smile formed on Barry's lips. The thought was comforting. His pseudo-sister would be an amazing aunt. His head shot up with worry and fear in his eyes. 

"What are we gonna tell Joe?"

***

Telling Joe had been an adventure, to say the least. They had waited a few days, to let Barry's head wrap around the thought of having a baby. But once they had, Joe had been silent for five minutes before saying how disappointed he was in Barry, but would stick by his side. Barry was relieved that Joe wasn't mad. 

***

At three months, they took Barry out of school. He began doing home school, which was boring to say the least. Not that he had many friends at his old school. 

***

At five months, they found out the gender of the baby. A baby boy. Once they found out the gender, they began to assemble the nursery. They had taken the unused guest bedroom and painted it baby blue, replaced the bed with a crib, the dresser with a changing station. All the works. Barry's smile when it was finished was totally worth it all. 

***

At seven months, they had a small baby shower. Like, a really one. Admittedly, it was only Iris, Joe, and a few friends of Barry's parents. And that one girl who always served Barry coffee at Jitters. Well, tea now. Damn pregnancy, taking away his caffeine. 

***

At eight and a half months, Barry went into labor. It was painful. Like, crazy painful. But he had Iris with him the whole way. He would've had Joe, but Joe said he rather would not have been in the delivery room, which made Iris pretty mad because Barry almost broke her hand. 

The second the nurse set the tiny thing wrapped in blue blankets in his arms, tears sprung to his eyes. Joe was allowed to come in and see the baby, and he would forever deny it, but his eyes fogged up a little. 

"Okay, we need something to remember this moment by," Iris said as she walked over to her purse. 

Barry chuckled. "Um, Iris? Hate to break it to you, but I already have something to remember today by." He gazed down at the sleeping form in his arms. "My beautiful baby boy. Oh, and like I could ever forget just how  _painful_ it was to push a human out of me." 

A giggle erupted from Iris as Joe laughed. "Yes, silly, I know. I mean something a little bit more, pass-on-able?"

"That's not a word."

She pulled a camera out of her bag and quickly asked the remaining nurse if she could take the picture. "Shut it. Now come on."

"Okay," The blonde nurse said as she held a hand up. "On the count of three. One... two... THREE, Cheese."

"Cheese!" 

 


	2. Auntie Iwis is going to kill me!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lunchtime is the best time. At least, Micheal think so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, I'm making the particle accelerator explosion happen two years earlier, so Barry is 23 instead of 25. Oh, but the explosion hasn't happened yet.

Barry walked down the stairs slowly, making sure not to trip while holding files so papers didn't scatter everywhere. Once he made it down the steps, Barry weaved through a few officers, heading towards the captains office. The door was slightly ajar, and the only sound that could be heard was the sound of pencils hitting paper. Deciding it was safe to go in, Barry knocked before opening the door even more. 

"Captain?"

Singh looked up at his youngest CSI, at a mere twenty three years old, before sighing. "Yes Allen?" He turned his attention back to whatever he was doing, probably paperwork. 

Barry walked up to the desk, set the files down on the corner, and turned before scurrying out of the room without a word. The precinct wasn't too full, seeing as it was lunchtime so most officers went out to get something to eat. Barry spotted Joe sitting at his desk, his computer showing a grainy picture of a license plate. The older mans desk had a few pictures sitting on top. One was from Iris and Barry's high school graduation, making Barry smile because what the picture didn't show was Micheal in Joe's other arm. Another picture was Barry's college graduation. This one had Micheal, the cute four year old standing next to Barry, holding his hand with a wide grin. Another was a picture of Micheal on his first day of kindergarten, back pack on his shoulders and lunch box in hand. Barry was crying when Joe took that picture. The picture right next to that was Iris and Barry on prom night. Admittedly, the two had gone with each other, seeing as how Barry had no friends and Iris didn't want to ditch him. In Barry's arms was Micheal, this time at only a few months old. The baby was looking at the camera in wonder, like he had no idea what this silly contraption was. Iris looked beautiful with her floor length emerald green dress and pinned up hair do, and Barry looked just as good in his black tux, and green tie, rose pinned to the front. And the last picture was the one taken at the hospital, just after Micheal was born. Iris was on Barry's right, while Joe was on the left. The little bundle of blue in Barry's arms caused Barry to smile. They had put that picture up  _everywhere._ They had one on the mantle in the living room, one on the dining room, one in Joe's room, Iris had one hung up in her apartment, Barry had two copies in his room, and each of them had a small one they carried in their wallet or purse. 

Barry walked over to Joe's desk and sat on the edge. "What are you doing?" 

The man looked up and said, "Just filling out this report. How come?"

Barry shrugged. "Just wondering." 

The sound of giggling and the clacking of heels caused Barry to turn towards the lobby. What he saw made a smile blossom on his face. 

Micheal was running around, ducking through peoples legs, his curly brown hair bouncing as he moved quickly. Iris wasn't far behind him, yelling as she chased after him. The six year old giggled and laughed as he ran towards Joe's desk. Finally, he spotted Barry. 

"Daddy! Help me, Auntie Iwis is going to kill me!" A few officers chuckled at the little boy. When Micheal was close enough, Barry scooped him into his arms and set the boy on his hip. While Micheal was six, he was small for a kid age. Honestly, if you asked people, they would've guessed he was about four. But Barry wasn't worried. He was smaller than all the other boys when he was younger too. 

"Micheal! How many times," Iris panted, hands on her knees. "have I told you not to run away?" 

Micheal looked down with guilt, which was adorable. When he looked back up, his icy blue/green eyes were glassy with unshed tears. "I'm sowwy," He said in a small voice, which just about broke everyone's heart. 

With a sigh, Iris stood up and brushed a piece of Micheal's hair out of his face. "It's okay Mikey. Just don't do it again, ok?" Micheal nodded before a bright smile appeared on his face. Sometimes Barry felt he could get whiplash with how quickly the boys mood would change. 

Micheal turned to Barry. "Come on, Daddy! Let's go!" 

"Go where buddy?" 

"To lunch, duh!" Barry laughed at his son. "Me and Auntie Iwis are going to take you to Bwig Belly Bwurger for burgers and fwies!" Micheal smiles even brighter as he begins bouncing in his fathers arms. Barry took this as a sign that he wants to be put down so he carefully set Micheal down on the floor. Micheal was about to run off, so Barry quickly grabbed the boys hand. 

The group said goodbye to Joe and left the precinct, walking the short distance to Iris' car. Barry strapped Micheal into his car seat before  getting into the passenger seat. Iris started the engine and turned on the radio, letting Micheal's kid CD play over the speakers. Hearing the beginning notes to The Backyardigans soundtrack made Barry chuckle. 

Iris had once told him about her ex-boyfriend and their music mishap. It was their third date and Josh's, the ex, car had broken down earlier that day, so Iris had offered to pick him up. Iris had recounted how the second she turned on the radio (temporarily forgetting that she had taken Micheal to the park earlier that day) and The Backyardigans song _Aha!_ had began blasting through the speakers. Her cheeks had been about as red as a rose as she quickly tried to stutter an explanation out. 

Iris, knowing what Barry was thinking about, quickly smacked his arm before she began driving. 

Big Belly Burger wasn't that far away from the precinct, and they could've walked, but Barry was too scared that a car would speed down the street and him them. Barry didn't want to chance it. 

They arrived after a few minutes and Barry quickly hurried to the backseat, knowing that Micheal didn't want to be in it long. After setting Micheal on the ground, Barry grabbed his sons hand and the three walked into the burger joint. Iris, like the saint she was, went to go order while Barry and Micheal went to find an empty booth. Iris returned less than ten minutes later, three baskets off food in her arms. Micheal squealed excitedly as his kids meal was placed in front of him. Both adults smiled at the boys adorableness. 

Quickly, before the boy could begin eating, Barry grabbed his basket and cut his burger in half, pouring ketchup next to the fries. A whine from the small boy brought a smile to Barry's face as he slid the food back to Micheal. The boy happily began to dig into his food, Barry and Iris soon following. 

"I love lunch." 

The two adults turned to boy in confusion at the random statement. 

"Why is that, buddy?" Iris asked the tiny boy. 

Micheal shrugged his small shoulders. "Well, it's the only time between breakfast and dinner that I see Daddy. Unless he's working late, then I won't see him till bedtime." 

Guilt flooded through Barry as he took in what his son said. It was true, Barry worked late often, seeing how he had a lot of work to do and if he left early then he would have more work to do the next day. 

"Hey, how about you and me spend the weekend doing something fun? Maybe could go on vacation?" Micheal nodded excitedly. "Okay, we'll come up with a fun place to go tonight. I love you, Mikey."

"I love you too, Daddy."


	3. Micheal Allen, Cowboy or Spy?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The duo arrive at their travel destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please send help. This story is kidnapping my brain.

The lights of the city shone brightly, mostly in blurs of white. The train was about to arrive at the station so passengers had begun to gather their things. Barry was no exception. 

Micheal was playing on his tablet that Joe had gotten him for Christmas, headphones on and blocking out the world. The train had finally stopped, but Barry waited a few minutes for mostly everyone to get off first with exception of a few stragglers. The man stood up, reached above his head, and grabbed his and Micheal's suitcases. Barry lightly tapped his sons shoulder, signalling that it was time to take off the headphones. The boy glanced up at Barry before pulling the blue contraption off his head and shoving them into his Spongebob backpack. 

"Are we here, Daddy?" The boys wide eyes shone with curiosity. 

Barry nodded. "Yep. Now come on, grab Daddy's hand." The young boy gripped Barry's hand as they exited the train. 

Starling City was dazzling, the dark night sky seemingly making the lights shine brighter. Barry guided Micheal out of the station, hailing a taxi. 

The man in the drivers seat, a middle aged man with salt and pepper hair, asked, "So where are we headed?" Barry rattled off the address before relaxing into the seat. Micheal's small hand was still perched in Barry's. The drive took almost an hour, the traffic proving that Starling had quite the nightlife. At one point, about halfway to the hotel, Micheal had crawled onto Barry's lap, setting his head on the mans chest. Barry rubbed his sons back for the rest of the journey. 

The cab halted to a slow stop in front of a nice hotel. "Here we are. You two have a nice trip."

"Thank you." Barry said as he climbed out of the vehicle. He payed the driver and the man popped the trunk for Barry to grab his suitcases. Barry lightly shook Micheal to wake the boy. He began to stir. "Come on, buddy. I have to let you down so we can go sign in ok?" With a nod of confirmation, Barry placed Micheal on the ground and grabbed his hand. The two walked into the hotel. 

The hotel was one of the nicer ones. It was nowhere near the Glades, and it wasn't that far from a friend of Barry's. The lobby was about the size of a small apartment, all done up in hues of gold and white. There were two white couches in front of a large stone fireplace, with a golden coffee table in front. The floors were a white marble tile and the walls were black with white and gold designs. A huge chandelier illuminated the room. The front desk was a dark wood with the same marble from the floor on top. A bright young blonde woman was sitting behind desk, supposedly typing on the computer if the clacking sound was correct.  

Barry, with suitcase in one hand and Micheal in the other, walked up to the desk. The woman, Marcie by her name tag, looked over and smiled brightly. 

"Hello. Are you checking in?"

"Yes. It's under the name Allen?"

She turned back to the computer and typed something before grabbing something out of a drawer. "Alrighty. Here is your key card and your room number is 215 on floor 2. Now if you could just sign these, it would be great." She set a few forms down net to the card, and Barry quickly began filling it out. It only took a few minutes to complete. 

"Okay, thank you. Have a nice stay."

The father and son duo walk to the elevator, Micheal moving a little sluggishly. The doors to the elevator opened, so Barry  gently pulled his son into it. His cell phone pinged a second after he had entered the elevator. He pulled out his phone as he hit the button to the second floor. The bright screen screamed at Barry's tired eyes, showing that he had a text from Iris. 

**Iris (9:05 PM):** _Hey, u guys make it there ok?_

With a smile, Barry quickly typed out a reply before pocketing his phone again. The elevator had stopped, and the doors opened, rather slowly. The two walked down the hallway in search of their room. It was at the end of the hall, the numbers 215 polished and shining. Barry entered the key card into the slot before opening the door and pulling both his suitcase and his son into the room. 

"Can I go to sleep now, Daddy?" Micheal asked, his wide eyes drooping. Barry felt bad, he knew he should have picked the earlier train! But he pulled out a big Ziploc bag containing two toothbrushes and toothpaste, floss, and face wash. He pulled out the small children's toothbrush and strawberry toothpaste and handed them to the boy. 

"You can sleep after you brush your teeth and get changed." Micheal nodded and went into the bathroom, items in hand. 

Turning back to the suitcases, Barry made a beeline for the smaller one of the two, Micheal's. It was dark blue, Micheal's favorite color, with a small sticker on the front corner that said 'Why can you never trust atoms? Because they make up everything!' It was the first sign that Micheal had any interest in science, which made Barry feel elated. His dreams were then semi-squashed when Micheal admitted that he wanted to get it because it reminded him of Daddy. 

Barry lifted the suitcase up onto the bed before unzipping it. It was full of tiny clothing and a few stuffed animals that helped Micheal sleep. First Barry took out Fluffy, Micheal's stuffed rabbit that he's had since he was a baby. Next, he dug around the stuffed bear and alligator and grabbed two set of pajamas. The first one was all black and lasers all over over them. (Micheal liked to called these his spy pajamas, mainly because he saw a movie where a spy used a laser gun, which convinced Micheal.) The second was a mismatched pair of top and pants, yet they were indeed the same set. The top had a bunch of cowboy hats all over, while the bottoms had cowboy boots. The two of these were Micheal's favorite pajamas, so it was sometimes difficult for him to pick between them. (The rare times that both had to be washed were terrible, many because Micheal would sometimes refuse to where anything but. Barry was usually able to bribe him with ice cream or something just to put him in one of Barry's shirts.) 

A few minutes later the bathroom door opened to reveal Micheal, eyes a little less droopy then before.  "All done Daddy."

Barry smiled at him. "Good job, Mikey. Now, I have a serious question. Cowboy or spy?" 

Micheal put up a pensive facade, even though they both knew he already knew the answer. "Spy!"

"Spy? Great. Come on Mikey, let's get you dressed and tucked in." 

He quickly dressed Micheal and set him in bed, sheets already untucked. Because Micheal was already sleepy, he fell asleep soon after being tucked in. Barry quietly moved around the room, changing and brushing his teeth. He turned off the light, a single lamp still slightly illuminating the room, and got into his bed. Micheal's twin bed and Barry's queen were only separated by a single nightstand. 

Glancing once more at his son, Barry reached over and shut off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need your help. Please comment on whether or not this should be a powers fic or a no powers fic. Depending on your guys' answers, I'll write when Len remeets Barry. Thanks for reading!


	4. The Boy With His Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len finds a small boy, with icy blue eyes and fluffy brown hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I have a new outline of how this story is going to go because I want to make it as exciting and good as possible. But this chapter is really short, so I'm sorry.

Leonard had never liked emotions. 

Emotions were a weakness that had no place in his life or line of work. He usually scoffed at he sight of people crying. So when he cried one day to his sister, almost seven years ago, it shocked everyone. Lisa had never told anyone about that vulnerable moment of his, which he greatly appreciated. 

The cause of his crying was still a secret he had never entrusted anyone with. 

A young man, his age unknown but Len was assuming early twenties at the time, had been sitting alone at the bar at Saints and Sinners. He was a little on the smaller side, his limbs were gangly and lanky, and it seemed that he didn't have much confidence in himself. Len had walked up and sat down in he chair next to the man. Then, he turned to face him and Len had lost his breath. His caramel brown hair looked to be fluffy, with just a bit of wave to it. Green eyes bore into his blue ones and he suddenly felt like his life was complete. 

A few hours later, Barry and Len found themselves in Lens apartment, sloppily kissing and clothes being thrown around. That night was one of the best of Lens life. 

When Len awoke the next morning, the bed was empty. 

* * *

 Walking down the street of Starling, Len remembered that night from seven years ago. He had never forgotten about Barry, the man with the dazzling green eyes. 

The air was filled with a slight smell of smog. Cars zoomed past, but there was a limited amount of people on the sidewalk. A business man in a pinstripe suit was walking hurriedly with a cellphone pressed against his cheek. A woman was pushing a stroller, a baby strapped to her chest. 

A slight tug on Lens pant leg brought his attention back. He glanced down to see a tiny boy clutching onto him. "Uhhh, kid? What are you doing?" 

The boy looked up with tears in his eyes. "I lost my Daddy! Can you please help me?" A stray tear escaped his eye. Strangely, that lone tear felt like it stabbed Leonard in the heart. The older man bent down to be face to face with the boy. 

"I will help you, but you have to tell me your name." The boy nodded.

"I'm Micheal but famwee call me Mikey."

"Ok Mikey. I'm Len." Mikey nodded again. "Can you grab my hand?" A tiny hand grips his, a ghost of a smile appearing on his face. "Now lets find your dad. Where was the last place you saw him?" 

Micheal littered off a description of what Leonard guessed was the candy store on 3rd and Elm, which was only a few blocks away. The two began walking around the corner  they were at. The walk didn't take two long, only about ten minutes, but the candy store was closed to packed. Gripping Mikeys hand, Leonard walked around the store. He had no idea what the kids dad looked like, so he was kind of looking for someone who resembled the boy. 

"Mikey?!" 

Leonard turned to where the shout resonated from to see a tall, lanky man with tears in his eyes. Well, that's probably him. 

Micheal ran towards the man, yelling "Daddy!" on the way. The man grabbed onto Micheal with tears streaming down his face. He was saying something, but Len was too far away to hear over the crowd. The man grabbed onto Micheals hand, much like Leonard had done earlier. He began walking over, staring at his son. 

The man with fluffy brown hair looked up at Leonard and froze. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You finally saw Len! Sorry this chapter is so short!!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry remembers how his teenage years were spent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning, this is a flashback. In case it wasn't obvious. And Barry is able to breastfeed, cause I say so.

The night was silent, stars shining brightly in the dark sky. The streets were lit up by the white moon. There were no signs of life on Culliper Street, cars parked and toys layinig on the front lawns. A screeching cry awoke Barry, the boy sitting up with a gasp. Looking over at the clock, neon lights told him that it was just shy of 2 A.M.. He sat up and lumbered to the door, turning the knob. It stuck, something that hadn't annoyed Barry before pregnancy, but now that he had a baby that liked to scream his lungs out at the wee hours of the morning, it wasn't a major convience.

Barry finally escaped the restraints of his own room, walking down the hallway and to the dark wooden door. The cries of the baby began to pierce at his ear drums, making his skull vibrate. Entering the nursery Barry hurried towards the bassinet. Leaning over the crib, Barry was met with the sight of a small, pale baby. The tiny face was red and scrunched up. 

"Oh, hello there. Do you want out of this baby prison?" Barry cooed as he leant over the crib, gently picking the baby up, cradling the head in the crook of his shoulder. "Are you hungry? Hmm?" Walking over to the rocking chair next to the changing table, the fifteen year old carefully sat down and placed the babys mouth next to his nipple. The screams that had filled the house had dwindled before ceasing as the one month old latched onto the offered nub. The sensation still felt strange, the tugging and suckling of toothless gums was a foreign feeling that he still wasn't used to. "Oh, you're a hungry baby, aren't you Mikey?" It was only five minutes later that a tired Iris entered the room, clothes ruffled from sleep. 

"Barry?" 

"Hey. Sorry that he woke you, I know that you have a big test tomorrow," Barry apoligized quietly, making sure not to disturb Micheal. "You should go back to sleep, I've got it covered in here." 

Iris walked further into the room, shaking her head in disagreement. "It's fine, Barry. We both know that I'm gonna bomb that test either way," The girl joked. Barry smiled up at her tiredly, letting his head fall against the back of the chair. Feeling Micheal release his nipple, Barry turned back to his son.

"Wow, you were hungry," Barry cooed in a baby voice. He gently shifted Micheal to be laying across his chest, tiny head over his shoulder. "Iris, can you hand me that spit towel? The one next to the bottle warmer." Iris handed Barry the blue towel, watching as he threw it over his shoulder and began patting the babys back. A small burp escaped Micheal. "Oh, look at you! Good job, Mikey." The brunette stood up and placed Micheal back in the crib, gently rubbing his stomach as blue eyes fluttered close. Standing up, Barry quickly walked out of the room, Iris following him, and closed the door as quietly as he could. 

\---

"Barry, get your butt down here now or you'll have to take the bus!" Iris hollered impatiently. Barry quickly ran down the stairs, shirt rumpled and backpack still open. 

"Sorry, Iris. Micheal didn't want me to leave." 

The two rushed out of the house and into Iris' new car. It was a present from Joe for her sixteenth birthday, and it was purple, Iris' favorite color. The drive to school took about twenty minutes, allowing Barry to organize his backpack. Students were milling in front of the school as the duo entered the high school, conversing all the way to their respective lockers. 

"I wish I studied more for this Chem test. I'm totally gonna flunk this class," Iris complained as she pulled out her Chemistry and Algebra books. "I wish you were in my Chem class with me, then I could cheat off you."

The  brunette chuckled and grabbed his sketchbook for art class. "There is no way I'd let you cheat off of me. I may let you walk all over me, but not when it comes to tests." 

"You're right."

"I know." The two laughed as they walked down the crowded hallway, saying goodbye when they had to seperate for different classes. 

Barry rushed to his art class, the room almost full with students art pieces. Admittedly, a lot of them were Barrys, so that shows how many kids chose to be in art. Sitting in his normal seat, Barry pulls out his sketchbook and drawing pencils. He hears the teacher, Mrs. Dunham, enter the classroom, but he decides to continue getting ready for the class to start. Turning his phone on vibrate, Barry shoves the device in his pocket, just in case he gets a message from Micheals babysitter. 

Art passes in a blur, Barry, and the six other kids in the small class, have to continue working on their projects that they started a week before. The project was a painting that was copied of a photograph. The student were allowed to pick their own photos, so Barry chose one of Micheal sleeping. 

After elective (Art Class), Barry had Chemistry 1 and Physics. The high school only had two Chem classes, 1 for advanced and 2 for beginners, so Barry took Physics and some college courses. P.E., aka the bane of his exsistence, followed and lunch was soon after. 

Iris and Barry were sitting at their usual lunch table, Iris eating he school pizza and Barry eating a small salad, when Barrys phone rang. The loudness of the cafeteria almost drowned out the sound, but he luckily felt it buzzing in his pocket. Laughing at a stupid joke Iris had just said, the brunette pulls out his phone and answers the call, holding the phone to his ear as he says, "Hey, this is Barry."

Honestly, Barry doesn't have many contacts, so whoever is calling already knows who he is and he does too, but he didn't bother to look at who called.

"Barry," Turns out it was Joe. The way the man had said his name was rushed and panicked, ceasing Barrys laughter. "You have to get to the hospital. It's Micheal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, soooo comment if you liked this chapter and if you want me to continue this chapter. And thanks so much to people who have given me kudos, it's made my day. Whenever I'm writing, I'm always afraid that people aren't going to like what I put out there, so thanks.


	6. Coffee and Ice Cream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry invites Len out for coffee as a thank you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW this isn't going to be very realistic, I didn't want to drag it out too long cause I wanted to push the story along. Sorry for any lack of angst.

"Barry?" 

Knocking himself out of his thoughts, Barry focused on the man in front of him. 

Leonard. Micheal's father. 

The man's hair was graying, which was a tad more silver than it was six years ago. He was a bit more tan, but to be fair, the lights at Saints and Sinners were kinda dim, so he could just be imagining it. It was December, so the older man had donned a worn blue parka with a black turtleneck underneath. The one thing that was the exact same was the smirk. Leonard's mouth twisted upward at the side, making Barry shiver. 

"Yes?" Barry sputtered. 

“You act like I’m going to bite your head off.” 

“Oh, sorry. I guess I’m a little jumpy. This past week has been a little off, for some reason. I’ve been really busy at work lately and it’s been affecting Micheal more that I would like to admit,” Barry told him, making Barry’s insecurities shine through. A hand grasped his own lightly, surprising him out of his thoughts. Looking up Barry saw Len giving him a sympathetic look. 

“Hey, he’s an amazing kid. From the half hour I knew him, I could tell that he was raised by a great family. No matter what you think, or however you think Micheal is thinking, he loves you with all of his heart.” 

Grinning shyly, Barry thanked the man. “That actually… really helps.” 

“I’m just wondering why you lost your kid in one of the most crime ridden cities in the world. I mean, shouldn’t there be someone else who was watching him alongside you?” 

“Well this was supposed to be a family trip, I wanted it to just be me and Micheal.” 

“Mmhmm.” 

“What?” Barry gave Len an incredulous look. 

“Nothing.” 

“Obviously it is, if you had to say something. If you want to ask me something, just ask,” Barry says, laughing slightly. 

Giving the brunette that classic Snart smirk, Len finally put Barry out of his misery and elaborated on his query. "So, who's the lucky guy?" Seeing the mans confused gaze, Leonard elaborates. "Mikey's other father. Now, I could be wrong, but you don't seem like the hetero type," The smirk widens when a blush rises to Barry's face, making him wonder if he was really that obvious.

Barry fiddled with his mug, glad that he had dropped Micheal off with a friend living in Starling. "Um, he isn't in the picture." Glancing up at the older man, Barry saw Lens eyes soften a bit in sympathy, but it only made his guilt double. He knew he probably should've tracked Leonard down as soon as he found out he was pregnant with Micheal, but he was a scared teenager, afraid and having a baby. "Do you ever want kids?" blurted Barry, a heat rising up once again when his mind caught up with his mouth. 

"I.. I don't know. I've never thought that I would have kids. Why does it matter?" 

"No reason, just asking," Barry said in one breath, blushing when he's finished. He could feel himself wanting to tell the man the truth, one of his weakness' was secret keeping. He was terrible at it. Ever since Barry had seen Len, he felt compelled to tell him the truth. 

The man gave him a incredulous look, before relenting and nodding slowly. “Sure. Besides, don’t think I’d be any good at it.”

"Excuse me?" 

Barry was shocked at this mans lack of confidence in his parenting abilities. From what Micheal had told him, Len was a very sweet man who took care of him when he was scared. That was a big part of parenting. Being there for your kids, being the helping hand guiding them to where they needed to go. He knew that deep down, Len was an amazing man who would be a fantastic parent. 

If he ever told, that is. 

Len was about to reply when his phone buzzed. The man grabbed it quickly out of his pocket and read through whatever had been sent to him. His eyes quickly showed his worry, before masking themselves into a cold indifference. 

“I have to go.”

Barry watched as the man stood, grabbing his blue parka from the back of his seat. “Yeah, totally. Thanks for meeting with me, letting me buy you coffee as a thank you,” he said, making the man pause after his coat was put on. 

“It was nice to see you, Barry.”

“You too.”

The two men shook hands. Lens eyes pierced their way into his soul, making him want to shiver. He refrained, fortunately, but he could feel the tension growing. 

Barry, feeling scared of whatever was about to happen, rushed out of the cafe with a quick goodbye. He could hear Leonard's voice behind him, calling out his name, but he didn't slow for a second. Hailing a cab as quickly as possible, and as soon as he thought he was far enough from the small coffee shop, Barry relays an address to the driver. It takes almost half the drive for Barry to relax, sinking into the worn leather seat. Finally, after what seems like hours, they pull up to his destination. He pays and rushes to the door, knocking loudly. A minute passes before the door opens to reveal Jade, an Asian-American girl who Barry met in college. Her shoulder-length brown hair was dyed ombre, hair natural brown roots reaching her ears and then fade to a dark blue. 

"Barry," She says, surprised he was at her door. "You weren't supposed to pick him up for another hour. No matter, come in, Micheal and I were just playing space robbers." 

Following Jade into the house, the brunette saw Micheal sitting on the floor, playing with a Nerf gun. Barry hadn't dropped him off with said gun, so either Jade took him shopping or she had it already. Micheal looked up at the sound of the door closing, a smile stretching across his face when he saw Barry. 

"Daddy! You're back!" The little boy stood up and ran to Barry, hugging his legs. Laughing, the man picks him up, resting him on his hip, something that comes naturally by this point. 

"I sure am," Barry said with a smile, one that was reserved for Micheal. "What do you say to you and me taking Jade out for ice cream as a thank you for watching you?" The excited nod tells Barry that Micheal loved that idea. Jade, however, laughed and said, "That's not necessary, this little dude was a pleasure." The woman ruffles Micheals hair with a smile, causing a giggle to erupt from the boy. 

“Well too bad, we’re treating you to a sugary treat,” laughs Barry. He watches as Jade relents, grabbing her car keys and purse, throwing on a black cardigan, and locking her door. After packing up all of Micheal's things, the duo followed her out to the garage. The three drove to the closest ice cream, a small shop named A La Mode, all getting different flavors. Micheal got Animal Cookies, Barry got Cookies n’ Cream, and plain chocolate for Jade. 

The group all sat at a table in the back, laughing at how messy Micheal was being. As Jade was telling Mikey a story about her old pet bird, Barry's phone buzzed. He pulled it out, expecting a text from Iris or Joe, but was surprised when it was from an unknown number. 

**_Barry, this is Len. Please call me, we need to talk._ **


End file.
